The Shadow In Everyone
by ZAndAfter
Summary: The life of the shadowbender was never meant to be easy. Living in secret from the other nations is already hard enough for most of them. But Nox has been dealt the worst hand; cut off from his people, hopelessly lost, no supplies, and a mission to try to negotiate with the light benders, a group with nothing but hate for them (NOTE: Please review and give me some input. Thanks)
1. Prologue

**Prolouge**

The sun peeked over the horizon, instantly filling the darkness, light reaching across the coastline of the beach like fingers grasping the dark. The tide was low, and the water moved calmly up and down the side. A light breeze was starting to pick up, quietly shaking the forest that sat along the beach. It seemed a rather nice day, only with a bright sun to worry about.

The beach had a few strange things, though. Rotten planks of wood were scattered across the sand, all these leading up to a small haul, that of a raft, split into two parts, with only one still partly intact. The rest of the ship made up the mess of wood along the shore. And among the distraught boat was an even more distraught-looking man.

The man was actually a teen, his shaggy black hair thrown over his big eyes, shut as if he'd dreamed the whole thing, the whole ordeal, and still having not awaken. He wore a black cloak, soaked heavily like the rest of him. He hung over the haul of the deceased boat in an awkward way. Most of his body was sprawled on the sand outside of it, but his arms hung onto the inside, grasping at things no longer there. Supplies, food, maps, everything he'd precariously packed, everything he needed. All of it now floating around at sea.

He was on his own now.

Slowly a shudder passed through him. His eyes were still shut tight, but his fists were clenching and releasing. Feeling began to come back to his body, the heat of the sun beating on his back. A low moan, sounding more like a grunt than anything, came from him as all the sores in his body sounded at once. He felt battered, like he'd gotten hit in every part of his body all at the same time. He took his time opening his eyes, adjusting to how badly he felt before looking to figure out where he even was. He glanced around after he'd finally collected himself.

After pulling himself up to his feet without any incident, he examined the wreck to check that everything really was lost. He just stood there for a while, looking at the wreck with a glint of remorse in his blue eyes.

"Ugh." he finally said to himself, his voice sounding gruff. He cleared his throat, and finally turned away from the wreckage, still hit with disbelief over his misfortune. His first time off the island, and he managed to mess it up already. But he needed to focus now. He'd have to figure out where he was, and try to find a village or something so he could get back on track. Maybe there was some sort of path along the beach. Wishful thinking, but he thought it was at least worth a shot.

"I can still do this" he thought as he started to walk along the shoreline, the water rippling on his left and the leaves of the forest rustling on his right. "They believed in me enough to send me here, and I won't let them down. I can't. I have to prove to father that I am worthy of being a shadow bender." He hadn't known it, but he'd been clenching his fists tightly, but released them quickly and with an embarrassed look after he noticed.

With that thought in mind, he trudged on across the sand, lost, sore, unprepared, soaking wet, and with an abundance of hope. It would take more than one storm to keep Nox down. Which was good, because more were coming.

**End of Prologue.**

****(Image for this story is courtesy of Exsodus / )


	2. I: The Old Man

It didn't take Nox too long to find a path branching out from the beach. He nearly missed it though, since it was a small, beaten trail lurking behind a bush, but managed to see it after he'd passed by. It wasn't much more than a winding trail, and it seemed to Nox that it was rarely used. Branches obscured the way every few steps, the canopy of treetops only let through small glints of light, and scurrying came from nearby bushes as animals watched him go by. He lost his way several times, finding himself distracted for a moment by a noise or a sight before noticing he had lost the small trace of dirt marking his path. His apparent prowess at controlling the shadows wasn't going to help him navigate this dark and not-so dangerous path. But he still managed to backtrack several times, and soon found himself at the end.

The small path led to a new road, this one much wider than the previous one. Walking up slowly while his eyes again adjusted to the light above, he noticed that there was various prints in the ground. They were faint, but it was easy to see that this road was taken quiet a bit, and would serve him well for now. Added to the fact that this path headed away from the ocean and farther inland, he began on his way. As he walked the more promising path, Nox swatted at the leaves that had gotten into his hair during his weaving journey through the forest, mumbling as he did. Trees still flanked both sides of his path, but it was a large improvement compared to before.

He traveled on the road for quite some time, the pains in his legs and feet that he'd originally felt when he woke up worsening as he went. The sun beating down on the back of his head didn't help too much either, and over time Nox's pace slowed from before. He felt more pressured to find something other than endless road, whether it be just some water or food, or maybe some sort of town, before he got too tired. He'd heard a lot about the Earthbender architecture, and was hoping for some of it to peek out over in the distance as a beacon of hope for him.

Up ahead, Nox saw someone walking along the road heading towards him. Nox felt anxious, hoping this man could give him some directions to a nearby town. Nox couldn't see him too clearly, but the man looked old, and was walking with a cane. Nox kept walking towards him, intent on asking him for directions. But the man stopped and stared at him when they were a few paces away from each other. Nox stopped as well, and they both proceeded to examine each other. He was wearing ragged robes that looked to be from the Earth Kingdom, with a heavy-looking medallion hanging from his neck. Nox wondered what the symbols on it meant, but moved on after a few wasted seconds of trying to read what the worn out metal said. Other than that, he had no bag, no weapon, nothing but the cane. His face was old and wrinkled, and judging from the scar that ran across the right of his forehead, he had been a fighter in his younger years. He was barefooted, something he'd heard many earth benders did.

"You aren't from here." the man began.

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Listen to what I have to say," the man said with a serious look "You are here to prove yourself. You will have your chance. But if you do not control yourself, you will just end dishonoring yourself and losing everything. This is a warning." His voice was gruff, and he spoke with a unnatural authority.

"I don't have any time for your random prophecies, old man." Nox said, moving to the side to walk by the man. The man suddenly did something with his walking cane, and part of the wood came off, revealing a blade that had been hidden inside. He pointed it at Nox's chest. Nox was impressed by the reflexes the man still possessed, but still only listened halfheartedly to what he perceived as the rambling of a crazed war veteran.

"Remember what I've said. Your people depend on it."

With that, he placed his sword back in it's "sheath" and hobbled by Nox, not making any more eye contact with him while he passed. Nox watched him as he went, waiting for him to get a few seconds out before shouting at him "You know nothing about my people!"

He didn't respond to the remark.

Nox turned, giving out an exasperated sigh. Looking up though, he saw something he hadn't noticed while he was talking to the man. A town was in the distance, one that looked well inhabited, buildings stretching all the way up the mountain behind it, with many more at the base. The way to it was a smaller road that branched from this one, a road that Nox was pretty sure he would have missed if he hadn't been stopped "Guess meeting that man wasn't all bad." Nox grumbled as he headed off towards it, filled with a final burst of energy to get there and rest. It was the afternoon at this point, but to Nox it felt like nightfall. Him and his sore limbs were ready to sleep until tomorrow.


	3. II: Taku

Nox glanced up towards the town, soaking in all the sights he could see. The town wasn't really what he was expecting. First, and most importantly, it was ruined. All the buildings that stretched up the mountain were destroyed, as if a fist had come from the sky and hit each one, leaving parts of the homes intact, but the rest demolished. The second things was the townspeople, and how they seemed to be keenly oblivious to the destruction of part of their town. They acted so accustomed to the wreckage that Nox wondered if it had always been that way.

The part of the town that hadn't been reduced to rubble was lively enough, people were out and about, some doing chores, but most were very content just to talk with one another in the street. Merchants were selling wares from storefronts, offering deals to anyone that went by for their wares, many of which Nox severely needed, though he lacked money and refused to steal. As Nox was considering ways for him to make money, a small group of small children ran by, each giggling as they went. Whatever game they were playing, it looked fun, and Nox couldn't resist smiling as they disappeared down a side street, their laughter fading into the noise of the town.

A girl came up from the same way the kids had come from, but stopped next to Nox, smiling while facing the street the children had just run down, not making eye contact with him but it was obvious they both had noticed each other.

"Geez, now I wish I was a kid again." Nox remarked, still smiling.

"Yeah, I'd rather be the one running right now than having to chase these guys." she answered, before finally turning towards Nox and giving him a curious glance.

The girl was a bit older than Nox was, if he had to guess, and she also had a slight height advantage as well. She had long brown hair with matching eyes. Her facial features were very small and closed in, with a short nose and tiny eyes that contrasted her height. She wore a simple dress, mostly light green with the edging lined with yellow.

"You aren't from around here." she said, glancing him over with a straight face, saying it more as a statement than a question.

"Already heard that before today." Nox replied "hopefully you won't try to read my future too."

She gave him a quizzical look, but he brushed it off as nothing, not willing to explain to her about the old man.

"Yes, I am not from around here." Nox said, replying to her after a small pause.

"So if you don't mind me asking then, why are you here? There isn't too much to do here."

"Funny as it sounds, I've been lost for a while, but thankfully happened onto your town."

"Well, then let me welcome you to Taku." She motioned towards the town behind her. He took a second look around, and as he did caught some people glancing at him that quickly averted their glances, probably because he was a newcomer.

Focusing back on the girl, he saw her stick her hand out and introduce herself as Mio. Nox shook her hand lightly, telling her his name in return.

"Well then, Nox" Mio said, trying out his name "do you need a place to stay, since you seem to be hopelessly lost?"

"Yes, I do, actually."

"Well, if you don't mind a cramped room, I think my mother would be more than happy to let you into our house."

"That would be really nice, thanks." Nox said, surprised with her hospitality.

"Once I chase down these kids, I'll come back and show you the way." Mio said, beginning to jog away towards the back road he'd seen the small children go down.

"Those are all your siblings?" Nox asked, the idea of spending a night with a bunch of kids running around souring the deal of a free bed.

"No, I'm an only child. I promised to take care of them for some families that are off chopping down trees for the town, to try and help rebuild."

Nox was reminded of all the destroyed build, and was about to question what happened to this place to cause all this ruin, but Mio was gone before he could ask.

He'd already determined he liked Mio. Call it a snap judgment, but she seemed like a good person, whether it be offering Nox a room, or taking care of children for other families. Maybe it was the fact she also reminded him of Kira, a girl that had meant a lot to him when he had still been on the Shadow Isle. She'd taught him how to shadowbend, given him the best friend he'd ever had, and they'd been almost inseparably, until Nox had been sent off by his dad.

He wasn't sure what his father's motivation was to send him on this mission, but for whatever reason, Nox had been given a task to communicate with the light benders. They wanted to trade with the shadow benders, and someone was supposed to make sure they forged the best deal they could, without causing a fight. Being the king, and thus being too important to get off his throne and do it himself, sent his son to do it for him. And now he was here.

For the second time today, he found himself clutching his hands into fists. Letting go, Nox looked up and saw that the sun was only going to be up for about an hour longer. It was almost like time had sped up. He hurried off to see if he could find Mio, and maybe help her round up the kids if she needed it.


	4. III: The Mark

Nox walked in slowly behind Mio, a bit of sweat trickling down from his forehead and with slightly heavier breathing than before.

Mio was giggling at him, glancing back towards Nox while she made her way across the house, before disappearing around a corner. "Those little kids...they're so much quicker than you'd expect..." Nox muttered to himself, taking this moment by himself to look the room over.

The room was a decent size, and seemed like a mix between a kitchen, a dining room, and a lounge. Almost immediately, Nox noticed that most of their furniture was wood, their dining table, chairs, everything except a single comfortable-looking seat in the back corner, and the house itself. The house was made with stone foundation, something that Nox was pretty sure they'd bended from the ground. It made the house sturdy, but the depressing look to it reminded him of the grey walls of a cell.

Sitting down in one of the wooden chairs that were pulled up to the table, he only had to wait a few moments before Mio reappeared with a woman Nox assumed to be her mother. Mio proved Nox's suspicion right when she introduced her, and Nox in turn gave her his name.

Her mother looked a lot like her; minus how short she was compared to Mio, and some of the faint aging beginning to show on her face and hair, and they were twin. Mio's mother took the padded seat in the back, and Mio took a seat across from Nox. The brief silence was broken by her mother.

"So I heard my Mio offered to let you stay here with us. She's so caring, always looking out for others." she started, saying it in a motherly voice.

Mio's cheeks were red; she lowered her head and quietly murmured "Mom..."

Seeing her child was embarrassed to have her parent go on about all the goods things about her, she stopped and instead turned to Nox and asked "So, where are you from? We don't usually get visitors around here. Would you happen to be an earthbender?"

Nox froze. He should have expected questions like that, but he didn't have an answer. Obviously the truth wasn't going to work here.

On the fly, Nox said in the most casual tone he could bolster "Well, I actually am not a bender, but I spent most of my life with the Air Nomads. They've been allowing me to be a middleman for their trades, but on my way to New Ba Sing Se I got lost, and here I am."

Nox's method of lying was simple, take half of the truth, and make up the rest. He was technically a middleman for a trade, and he was on his way to New Ba Sing Se, but everything else was devised by him.

"Really? Seems you're quite a ways off from there." her mother mused.

She began to start on a tangent of how she'd always wanted to go to the air temples, and soon led to her telling a story about her childhood. Nox relaxed now, she wouldn't be asking any questions for a while. While she went on with her story, Nox stretched out his arms above his head, and his right sleeve sagged down to above his elbow. Putting his arms down, he didn't pay much mind to the sleeve until he saw Mio staring at his arm with the most perplexed look on her face. Following her eyes, he looked at his arm and remembered.

The mark.

A black tattoo-looking mark stretched along his right arm all the way to a little before the wrist. It curved in various directions, interlocking, crossing, but it had a strange look to it like it was moving somehow. It was the symbol shadowbenders were born with to identify them as a bender.

Nox quickly shoved his sleeve down, and tried to ignore Mio, but she kept staring at his arm, as if she was still looking at it through the fabric. Nox slowly turned her mother's conversation towards him getting to the room, telling both of them that he was feeling pretty beat, and that he needed the rest before he left tomorrow. After thanking them a final time, he was directed into a small room in the back, with a single bed and a bedside table. Mio's mother offered him some food and water, which Nox accepted and placed on the table, before eating it quickly and trying to lay down and sleep. Since the only door in this house was the front one, he could hear everything that they saying, so sleep wasn't going to come easy.

"Mom, there's something strange about him." Nox heard Mio say, and he stopped trying to cover his ears with one of the two small pillows and froze.

"Just because he's a little quiet doesn't mean he's strange."

"No mom, that's not what I meant." Mio said in a irritated tone "His arm..."

"What about it? There's nothing wrong with them. He has two, yes?" her mom said slowly. He couldn't tell if she was being serious or just joking. Nox would have been tempted to laugh if the subject was anything else.

"Mom, just listen. I know he has two arms, most people do. But he's got these weird tattoo things on one of them."

"Mio, you can't judge him just because he has a tattoo."

"It..it just looks different. Like it's made out of water or something, always changing and moving. How did you not see it?"

"It was probably just the light playing a trick on you; really you're taking this way too seriously."

Mio was beginning her defense when the ground thumped, rattling everything inside the house, including Nox, who had began to sit up on the bed. Another wave shook the house, and he heard someone get up and open the door.

"They're back." he heard Mio almost whisper.


	5. IV: Trial By Water

_Things just keep getting better and better. Can't even sleep without something going wrong. Might as well go out and see what it is_. He was more irritated than worried.

Nox had already rolled off his bed and started heading towards the door. He almost knocked down the plate sitting on the table in the process, too hurried to pay attention to his actions. He ignored the concerned remarks coming from Mio's mother and let himself out the door, swinging it back quickly.

As soon as he left the house, Nox was hit with a burst of cold air. His teeth chattered for a moment, though with his cloak, the breeze felt actually very refreshing.

_It's summer: what's with the cold? Strange..._

The wooden stairs creaked as he made his way down from the porch, and he noticed the outline of Mio in the dark a few feet away from him. She stood very still, and hadn't reacted to the creaking as he'd walked down. He made his way towards her.

She had her back to him, but Nox could still see her figure shaking as she stared off into the distance. At first, he thought she was just cold, like he was. He wondered why she'd gotten so worked up over something as simple as that. But then he looked down the street.

To his surprise, the streets were lined with people. Each house had one or two people standing in front of them, all staring towards the town's entrance, waiting. Nox found himself standing next to Mio, staring as well. "What's going on around..." Nox began, but was interrupted.

Thump.

The noise was back, sounding in constant intervals now. It echoed like it was far away, but it felt like it was right there, ready to burst out of the dark at any moment. It gained volume, louder yet keeping pace. Nox was sure it was coming from the front gate now. It didn't shake the ground quite as energetically it shook the house, but Nox could still feel it through his whole body. Time passed, only heightening the anxiety Nox was feeling.

He saw figures now, appearing outside of the gate. Two smaller ones on the sides, and a giant controlling the middle. They were only outlines, but he guessed the ones on the sides were people, their gait in time with the beat. They obviously weren't creating the thumping, so he assumed it was the one in the middle. He wished shadowbenders were blessed with the ability to see in the dark, a strange shortcoming in his people that he failed to understand.

The figures passed through the front gate. Mio gripped Nox's arm with such vigor that he nearly fell. She had said before that they were "back," so Nox would have figured whatever this was, she would have been ready for it. If she was this scared of it, perhaps Nox was taking this too lightly. A bit of sweat formed on his forehead.

The giant figure walked far enough into the light where Nox could finally see it. It was a large creature of sorts, grey and black slimy skin covering it's entire body. It looked like a monster, a mix between a small scaly creature and a bison. It had a huge round head, a stubby snout, big beady eyes, and a unintelligent look to it's face. It's had a very obese body size, and Nox realized this thing was just a pack mule for the people. They'd strapped a makeshift saddle to it, lined with pouches full of something.

There was five people walking alongside this thing. Two on each side, and one that Nox could barely see bringing up the rear of this strange caravan. Each was dressed in a blue robe with a hood to cover their faces. They walked straight, not turning to look at anyone. There was also one more of them, a man riding the top of the creature. He wore a darker blue robe, but his hood was down, revealing the face of a younger man. Nox couldn't see any details of his face except his brown hair.

The whole company of people stopped, and the resounding silence was far more impacting than the sound had been. The man with the darker robe spoke.

"Have you all given our generous offer any thought?"

Silence.

"Ignoring me won't work, you know. It's a simple yes or..."

"We won't give you anything, you thieves!" came a shrill voice from the left.

"Really?" the man acted hurt, though his obvious joking made Nox ball up his fists again, this time by no accident.

"Well," the man went on "I guess I need to remind you of what we do to people that hold out." He turned towards the direction of the voice, and put his arm on the side of the beast. He reached towards the pouches and let a few of them loose, allowing the water inside of them to fall out. He bended it up quickly, forming it into ice in almost an instant before sending it hurling at a building. Nox heard screams as people ran to move out of the way of the collapsing building.

"Do we now all understand what happens when you don't give us what we want?" he said, using a tone as if he was addressing little children.

Nox couldn't take it anymore. He snaked out of Mio's grip and began walking with pace towards the thieves, fists still clenched.


	6. V: The Spark

Nox got about ten feet away from the beast and stopped. He stared up at the man, who seemed to be finding it funny that he was being stood up to. Nox imagined this man usually got what he wanted without a problem once he smashed enough houses in.

_Only more motivation for me to hate this guy._

"What do we have here? Seems everyone in this town isn't a coward after all." the man boomed, laughter filling the air that sounded much more like snarling.

"Not to disappoint you, but I'm actually not part of the town. I'm just a guy that thinks it's silly to rob others like this."

"It works every time, so I don't consider it silly"

"Probably because nobody's stepped up to you before."

"Would you be that person?" he asked with desire. He seemed to be daring Nox to challenge him. Nox was about ready to comply with his wishes when footsteps sounded behind him. When he turned Mio was beside him.

"Seems your girlfriend would like a word with you. Don't keep me waiting." he said in a droning, taunting voice. Nox ignored him for now, mostly because Mio was whispering rapidly into his ear..

"This isn't your fight. You can still stop now, we can manage ourselves just fine."

"You don't seem to understand that this punk needs to learn a lesson."

"He's going to hurt you, Nox! You saw what he did to the houses, what is a non-bender going to do against that?"

"Then maybe you guys would like to lend a hand and protect your town?" Nox said, raising his voice at her while motioning towards the people that lined the streets.

Mio backed up a step, and whispered almost to the point where Nox could hear her "Please..."

"No."

"Please!"

Nox didn't answer this time. He just turned around to face the man, who seemed to be focusing in on their conversation with mild amusement. They made eye contact for some time.

"Leave now." Nox said plainly to him.

"Make me." he beckoned. He produced a knife out from his robe and slashed more of the pouches, bending them up like before. He lifted it up and was ready to strike, when he realized something.

Nox was gone.

The man looked up to the sky, allowed himself to laugh to his heart's content before saying "It seems your hero has deserted you. Typical. Now about the supplies you all promised..." Before he finished, he felt a presence behind him, and spun around. Before he could turn, he was shoved off his beast, rolling down the side before falling to the ground, smacking the dirt with his back. He sputtered, the air had been knocked out of him. The water he had been bending stayed suspended for a moment, before falling and landing straight on the man, drenching him.

The crowds of people all burst into laughter, a notion the man didn't take to well. Nox himself was chuckling, sitting on the back of the beast staring down on him.

"You...you're all going to pay for this." the thief shouted from his place sitting on the ground, attempting to stand himself up. One of the other robed members was trying to help him up, but he was pushed away. Instead, the man staggered up by himself, glaring up at Nox.

_If looks could kill..._

"You!" he shouted with venom, pointing towards Nox with a shaky hand "Who do you think you are?"

Where was a witty comeback when he needed one? Instead, Nox slid down the beast and landed in front of him. Nox stretched his hand out and said "I think I'm Nox. Nice to meet you."

The man yelled something indecipherable and swung at Nox, aiming a punch towards his head. The man was not a good fighter, and Nox could easily see it coming and sidestep it, doing this several times before the man got the hint he wasn't going to hit him. He stood still now, hands on his knees, puffing out air.

"Mind leaving now?" Nox asked.

Then the man did something Nox hadn't really expected, he bended some of the water that had puddled on the ground and swung it at Nox's eyes. It connected, and he staggered backwards, his vision blurred and eyes red. The man took the opportunity to pull out the knife again, and leaped at Nox with a cry. He stabbed forwards. Nox raised an arm to block his face and waited for the surging pain.

He felt nothing for a long while, and he moved his arm down to look. He could barely make out the scene with his blurry vision, but after rubbing them vigorously, it cleared.

An earth wall had appeared in front of Nox, and the knife had become impaled in let out a relieved sigh. Soon, he saw Mio rushing at the man, a boulder floating in front of her. Others were doing the same, and he saw a look of horror on the six faces of the men. Grinning, he decided to help, but refrained from any more bending.

It only took the town a few minutes to run them out, rocks careening after them as they left. Without access to water, they were powerless. The beast soon got the memo they were leaving, and lumbered after them.

Nox stood watching, a bright glint in his eye.

_I've finally done something good for once. I feel like I've accomplished something, like I had an impact. All they needed was that spark, and then the fire was there._

_Feels good to do that, to finally help._


	7. VI: Last One Out

Nox laid in bed, eyes open, shooting a blank expression at the ceiling. He was breathing slowly, listening to how it cut through the quiet. His arms were thrust under the blanket, and he was shuddering slightly, shivers pacing through his body every little bit as he tucked in to try and warm up.

The people of the village had been more than pleased with Nox after he'd help them stop the robbers. Before he'd known it, they'd created a makeshift party, and the village became a center of music (He hadn't noticed a musician earlier, but didn't question it), food, and good times. Nox ate food, chatted, laughed, avoided questions about himself the best he could, and danced.

Dancing was probably the part that stuck out the most, even above all the questions pointed at where he came from, and some of his almost-slip ups. He had been alone after talking with a group of villagers. The music was in full swing, and Mio had drifted over to him, coming through the crowds like it was in slow motion. To put it simply, she had looked beautiful. Nox blanked when he saw her, imagining he had probably looked silly standing there looking idly at saying anything, she'd taken his hand and led him to an open space.

Nox had never danced before, and she had obviously knew what she was doing, leading him this was and that, twisting and turning through the the crowds with ease. It had taken Nox a long time to get used to it, but once he had, it was magical. He lost track of time, but he didn't care about it. This was a moment to remember.

Almost too soon, Mio pulled away from him, and it seemed the music stopped with her. She stood there staring at him for a while, before turning to go. But she had left him with a kiss on the cheek before giggling and disappearing into the crowd. Nox had tried to find her afterwards, but she had eluded him. He soon had grown bored of the party and made his way back to the house.

Mio hadn't been there either, but he had been so tired from the day's events that he had found his way to the room. And there he still was, sleep becoming more and more elusive as his mind spun with thoughts. The main one he was wrestling with was if he should leave tonight and avoid any heartbreak over Mio, or stay, and play it by ear.

_If only I wasn't a shadow bender. If only I wasn't here on a mission. If only I was anybody else at any other time, I could stay here then. I can't believe I already like Mio after only half a day with her. She'd be fun to spend time with, and pretty useful for the journey ahead. But I can't ask her to come with me, I'd have to tell her about shadowbending, and besides, if the lightbenders get unruly, it would be too dangerous for her. I don't want anything to happen to her._

The part of Nox that said to leave now won out. He made his way out of the bed gently, and took small steps towards the door to the outside. He put his hand on the door, but kept it in place for a second. He walked back towards the main room and scurried around in some cabinets for a bit, being as quiet as he could.

When Nox had found what he was looking for, he set it all down on the table. The scroll he had found seemed to be blank, and the container had enough ink to write whatever he wanted. He thought long and hard of how to explain away his sudden leaving, but he couldn't, and resorted to simplicity:

_~Thank you for letting me stay here. Goodbye.~_

He had scribbled it rather quickly, he knew the sun would be up soon, and he wanted to get out of the town before anybody woke up. He was incredibly tired from lack of sleep, but he had to go. He left the scroll unfurled, making his way to the door a second time. He pushed it open slowly, hearing a soft creak emit out. He slipped outside, not daring to turn back.


	8. VII: Thin Lies

Nox walked slowly down the road. He knew is his head that he was in a rush, that he should be trying to get out of the town before anyone woke, but he still took time to glance at the houses. He wanted to experience the town again before he left, remember how it could have effected him after such a short time. He passed the house that had been destroyed the night before, it's front wall completely missing, as well as the people that used to live inside. A mess of rubble was piled around it, shards of it almost reaching the other houses. A doll was on top of one pile of stones, looking back into Nox's eyes seemingly. He wondered where the people were staying at now, and if anyone had been inside when it had collapsed.

_I shouldn't have let him get away. He deserved worse than to just get run out of here. I can't believe all the pain he's probably given these people._

The town seemed strangely quiet, none of the commotion or voices that he had gotten used to hearing. Nobody was walking about, nobody was selling anything, nobody was here, except Nox. He felt oddly alone, and it made a shudder pass through his body. His pace increased.

Nox made his way to the large front gate, thinking about how he'd came into the village. He remembered how he met Mio there, and her kindness to him. The conversations with her were still fresh in his mind, and he wondered how she would have reacted if he had told her he was a shadow bender when she had noticed his mark at the house.

_ If this task I'm doing goes off without a hitch, I'll come back here. Even if I'd still have to lie to her about being a shadow bender, I still would like to see her again._

Nox made his way to the path that had brought him to this place the first time. It seemed more worn than the first time he'd been there, and he wondered if it was because of the thieves. The sun was peeking out just as Nox hit the canopy of trees. He stopped and looked at how the sunbeams pierced through the openings in the branches above. The forest around him seemed to be just starting up again. He heard what sounded like a small creature of some kind get up and start moving around. Whatever it was, it was scurrying around rather fast. But the thing's steps seemed to get louder by the passing seconds, almost to an abnormal volume. Now instead of from the bushes, it sounded like it was from behind him.

He turned, and saw Mio running towards him.

So much for leaving without any drama.

"Nox!" she said in an exasperated voice once she had made her way to him "What are you doing?"

"Leaving."

"Why?"

"I need to get back on path to New Ba Sing Se."

"You aren't a trader or a Air Nomad, Nox. Even I can tell that."

She said it in such a matter-of-fact fashion that it caused Nox to freeze for a moment. He stopped looking into her eyes and instead glanced at the ground.

"W-what do you mean?" Nox said in an uncomfortable way.

"I mean that if you are a trader, you seem to be missing anything to sell. And you look nothing like the nomads do."

"I lost it on my way here, while I was-"

"Why do you keep lying to me?" She seemed more sad at him than angry. "Why can't you just tell me the truth already!? Do you think I'm stupid or something?" Her head dropped a little, and she was now also glaring at the ground.

"No, no, it's not that. I just can't tell you." Nox continued

"Why not?"

"I...I just can't. I want you to be safe, and telling you could endanger you if they figure out."

"They?"

"The shadowbenders." Nox said quickly, before shutting his mouth tight after realizing what he had said. He'd tricked himself into saying it by trying to answer too fast.

"No way..." Mio muttered, her head now raised again, staring at Nox with a different light in her eyes than before. Her sad look was replaced with a curious glow. Her mind seemed to turning now.

"I didn't mean that..." Nox almost whispered in a vain effort to recover from his previous words.

Ignoring Nox's comment, she told him "There's no way you are going to leave me behind now that I know that." She grinned at him "The opportunity to go on an adventure with a shadow bender isn't something you get a chance at doing every day. I don't care what dangers you were talking about before, I'm going with you and that's final." A different side of Mio was showing, a stronger side of her personality.

"You don't understand, if my nation figures out I told you this, the consequences are brutal. Exile if I'm lucky, and I'm not sure what they'd do to you."

"Then I won't tell anyone about you, _if_ you let me come along." She was rather conniving when she wanted something, and Nox caved.

"Fine." was all Nox said, and continued walking, Mio following behind him with a aura of elation around her, bounding happily instead of walking.

_What have I gotten into..._


	9. VIII: Silence

Nox knelt by the fire, outstretching his hands to feel the warmth near them. Never before had he taken the time to really look at a fire during the night, but he found that it was helping him relax. He felt his eyelids droop slightly, but he forced himself to push them back open and stay awake. Mio sat nearby, half her face illuminated by the light, the other half in the dark. She had a blank gaze as she stared at the flames, her lip quivering slightly. Her face was paler than usual, an almost ghostly color. Nox looked up from his spot next to the bonfire, and noticed that she seemed like she was thinking hard about something.

"Hey." Nox said lightly, trying to get her attention.

She didn't react. Maybe the crackling of the fire had covered his voice? Or maybe she really was that distracted. He wondered for a moment if she was thinking about her mother. He'd felt that same way when he'd been forced to leave his home to do this, and he was still working through being so disconnected. For now he pulled himself from his own thoughts, and focused back in on getting Mio's attention.

Nox snapped his fingers a few times, finally getting her to look up and give him a curious glance. Mio blinked rapidly a few times, as if Nox had just woke her up from a dream.

"Hey. You doing OK?" Nox asked. She had been very quiet since Nox had agreed to let her go, her earlier excitement fading almost immediately. By midday their journey had been in silence. He was worried that bringing her had been a bad choice on his part. They'd only been traveling for a day, and she was already upset over something.

"Yeah." Mio mumbled, but she still seemed like she was somewhere else.

Nox circled around the fire and sat next to her, hugging his knees close to his chest. "What's up?" Mio didn't turn to face him this time, she just staring into the fire like he had been moments before.

"It's nothing. I just wonder...you know, what if the bandits come back?"

"They won't."

"You don't know that!" Mio's voice rose a bit, but she soon relaxed and added softly "I'm just worried."

"Don't. Worrying doesn't change anything. They're strong people, they can handle themselves." Seeing Mio hadn't lightened up after his encouragement, he switched tactics. "Wanna see some shadowbending?"

Her eyes got a bright glint in them, and she turned to acknowledge him now, releasing her gaze from the flames. Nox had seen that glint before when she first found out he was a shadowbender, and he was sure he had her attention.

"What is shadowbending anyways?" she asked as Nox stood up to bend.

"Well, it's a few things. Firstly, we can move darkness from on area to another to cover something or someone. Helps us move in the shadows and stay unseen. It's what I did when I knocked the thief off." He thrust his arms out and brought them back, while also closing his hands as if he was pulling something. From Mio's view, Nox disappeared into the black, before coming back into view after a few silent moments.

"What else?" Mio had forgotten her worries already.

"Well, even in the light we can make shadows and form them into something more solid. I believe it's similar to waterbenders taking water and freezing it."

Nox demonstrated. He moved his hands around in a sort of circular movement, watching as darkness seemed to bellow out from his hands. He made a few more quick movements with his hand, and the shadows constructed into a blade of sorts, a sloppy recreation but still usable.

"I still need to work on it a bit." he muttered, bringing the sword to his waiting hand, before turning to swing at a tree with it. The blade struck one of the large branches and kept going, easily passing through the wood. The tree groaned as it let go of the branch, which slammed the ground with a hefty thump.

Nox sat back down next to Mio, a bit of sweat on his forehead.

"Thanks for showing me that, Nox."

"Well, if I'm going to get caught for telling you I'm a shadow bender, I might as well get something out of it.'

"Do you think they'll find out?"

"Who knows. But like I said, no reason to worry about things you aren't able to change."

Mio eyes drooped a bit, and Nox found himself similarly tired. The fire was beginning to peter out.

"Goodnight Nox." Mio said, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Her eyes had already started to shut.

"'Night" Nox whispered, and drifted off to sleep watching the dying embers.


	10. IX: The Strangers

_Where is he?_

Her eyes scanned the abandoned tavern with a look of dread, by now having already memorized the whole decor. There was a bar that took up a good half of the room, made of some dark-colored wood. Shelves lined the wall behind it, but those had been long empty of anything but dust and cobwebs. The second half of the room was outfitted with the same kind of wood. Chairs and square tables were spread evenly along the area. Those too were covered with dust, but that was expected from a place that hadn't seen business since the ending of the war.

The upstairs had about ten rooms for living. One room in particular had obviously been owned by the owner of the building, because it's layout was much nicer. But none of them had anything very interesting in them, just beds a few other amenities for living.

She leaned her elbow on a table, cupping her head in her palm. Her blonde hair was out of sorts. She usually pulled it back to keep it out of her eyes, but right now it looked bedraggled as it flowed all the way past her shoulders. She imagined she must look pretty bored right now, with her eyes dreary with a lack of sleep. They'd traveled many days non-stop just to get here on the appointed day, and for what? To wait? To twiddle their thumbs? This was ridiculous.

Glancing at her companion, he seemed to contemplating the same thing she was. He spoke:

"Can't believe he's wasting our time like this...they wanted us to meet here and work this out, but how can we if they never show up!?" He thumped his fist angrily onto the table he was sitting at, and stood up to face her.

"When that snobbish prince gets here...he's got some explaining to do." he continued.

He balled his fist up again, and he looked like he might take another swing at the table. Not sure if the old rotting table could take another hit, she sat up and moved over to him to try and settle him.

"Makus...you've got to calm down. If you get angry at him, this meeting will just be waste."

"It's going to be a waste anyways if he doesn't show." Makus replied angrily, but he sat back down and unfurled his fist. He crossed his arms and went back to muttering under his breath. She shook her head at him, irritated at his temper.

Suddenly a boy bust through the door. She and Makus both leaped up, and positioned themselves to attack the invader. The boy shrieked, and lifted him arm in surrender, muttering gibberish they could not understand. Only then did the pair recognize the identity of the boy. Both put their arms down from their bending position and relaxed back into their seats

"Sorry about that..." Makus said "We're a bit high-strung. What do you have to report?"

The boy was still very shaken up. He took his time speaking, rarely looking directly at them. "I-I...watched th-the coast like told me to. I kept my eyes out for any strange people coming in. I saw a-a-a, a man shipwreck there wearing all black."

She turned to Makus "Good. At least we know he's coming."

Off to the side, the boy added 'Ex-excuse me...there's more." Both of them turned towards him with curious glances. "A little later...a woman showed up too. Same spot, same clothing."

They both waited for more, but the boy had stopped speaking and had his eyes glued to the floor.

"Well?" Makus asked angrily "Where'd she go?"

The boy looked up in fear. "I-I dunno! I followed the man like you said! She went a different way an-and I lost track of her."

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, she remarked "You can go now. You've had a tough day."

Once the door shut, she spoke again: "At least the shadowbender finally showed up...though I'm not sure why there's two."

"They must not trust us." Makus scoffed. "Figures."

She stood up, her mind filled with curiosity about the shadowbenders. Since they always lived isolated from one another, rarely did they get the chance to see one another. She knew their bending was similar to their own, and she knew as much as scrolls could teach her about them, but seeing them was much different.

"I'm going to go look. I want to see this guy before we meet him formally. Maybe I'll be able to catch a glimpse of the other shadowbender too." Makus nodded, and she headed for the door.

Before she left, Makus put an arm on her shoulder. She stopped, turned, and looked at him curiously.

"Just make sure to be careful Lily. They're a shifty bunch. Don't trust them."

Lily nodded slowly, and a second later she was through the door and out into the crowded streets of the city.


	11. X: The Journey

Nox actually regretted trying to leave Mio now that she was here. She knew the way to New Ba Sing Se much better than he did.

"Well," she said when Nox asked about it "Before we lived in Taku, me and my mom lived in a small village nearby. My grandparents actually lived in the city, so we'd visit whenever we could. I loved how you could just look up and see all the building stretching up to the sky around you. It made you feel so small, but at the same time it just took your breath away."

Mio was smiling; her eyes looked distant and it was almost like she could see it. She shut them for second and stopped walking. Soon they reopened:

"When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's amazing."

The remainder of the journey was fairly uneventful. The previously-foresty terrain gave way to a more jagged, rocky landscape. Soft rolling hills were replaced by sharp peaks. Though the sun was beating heavier and the path was becoming rougher, Mio began to hum happily.

"I think we're close..." she said. Her head turned back to look at Nox, and she grinned as she saw the outfit he was still wearing.

"What's with the cloak? Do you know how burning hot it is?"

"Did you forget about my mark? I'd rather get a little warm than have someone see it." Nox was a lie. He was more than a little warm. His face was covered with sweat and he was constantly drinking water.

"But there's literally nobody around here!" Mio said with a laugh "You're being way too cautious."

After another second, she added. "I think I've got an idea anyways. Take off your cloak. I've got some bandages with me."

That was another reason it was great that she had come along. While he had taken a day's worth of food for himself, she'd brought pretty much anything she could carry: food, water, medical supplies and even more. Her pack should have been heavy too, but it was somehow very easy to carry.

Listening to Mio's words, he pulled off his cloak. It revealed a grey training garment underneath, a tight but light shirt that seemed much more suited for this environment. Along his right arm, the inky-black marking appeared. Swirling symbols danced up and down, yet did not move, and in the bright light, it only seemed to stick out more. Each one had an intricate beauty to it; looking at it as one whole piece was special enough, but looking hard enough, Mio could see that even within the markings themselves, there was more symbols and details that flowed inside the shadowy depths.

Mio continued to look at it, provoking an uncomfortable cough from Nox. She snapped out of the trance-like state she had been in and her eyes shifted to his eyes. Nox had an eyebrow raised and a smirk edging out of the corner of his mouth. She quickly apologized. "Sorry...I got distracted for a moment." Regaining some of her composure, she pulled out the bandage and took hold of his arm.

"Stay still." she cautioned as she began to twirl the wraps all along his arm. In a few minutes, his arm had white bandages stretching from the lining of his shirt to his hand (which she used to anchor the wraps and keep it from slipping off).

She took a step back to see it, hands on her hips. The remainder of the bandages were still in the palm of her hand . "Looks good." she muses, nodding slowly.

"What am I supposed to tell people when they ask about my arm?" Nox asked, moving his arm around to make sure he still had motion in it.

"Maybe you got burned in a fight with a fire bender?" she suggested. He shook his head a bit, but simply said "I'll figure it out. Thanks." Silence fell between them as Mio put the bandaging away and they began a trek up a steep hill.

"Mind if I ask a question?" Mio said a bit later, but continued without waiting for an answer "What's up with the marking anyways? They're really unique."

Nox laughed. "More like inconvenient." He inspected his arm again, flexing it back and forth. He sighed, and Mio gave him a look of concern. He didn't seem to notice it, but kept speaking:

"The markings are what each shadowbender is born with. Depending on what caste you're a member of, you'll get a more extensive marking."

"Wow." Mio said with a smirk. "Than you must be pretty high up in society. What are you, nobility? Royalty?"

He turned to face her, and for the first time since meeting the bandits in Taku, he had a serious, almost angry look.

"How about a prince?"

She instantly froze in place, and he continued walking. "W-wait...a prince? You're the son of the ruler of the shadowbenders? You can't be serious..." Mio then realized that she was now alone and talking to herself.

Still stuck in place, Nox called back towards her from the top of the hill. "We're here. Come on."


	12. XI: Mad World

The sun was setting behind the giant city that now stood in front of Nox and Mio. The last flickers of light cast their dying beams along the tops of buildings, a amber glow radiating across the whole area. Even in this dwindling light, the beauty of the city wasn't lost on Nox. It didn't seem like an average town, with scattered buildings blotting the insides of the wall. It was much more structured. The outer rings of buildings started small, and grew in size until they reached a central tower, a tall structure that looked it had been hand-carved out of a giant stone. It reached up farther than Nox could see at this time of day, and he wondered how long that must have taken to make.

Almost as quickly as he took in the whole image, it melted into the darkness and away from his view. The sun sunk below, and everything turned pitch black. All he could see now was the massive figure in the distance, like a shadow of what he'd seen before.

The wind whistled in their ears while they watched, giving the whole image a creepy edge.

"Is it still as great as you remember?" Nox asked as he stood still, trying to take in what he just saw.

Mio sighed. "Yes...almost better than before."

They got into the city without too much of a problem. The line of guards weren't too weary of two teenagers traveling, and when Mio rattled off the name of her grandparents, they slid the thick wooden gate open and let them enter.

The pair found themselves in the middle of a large square. Market stalls lined the area, but were devoid of any sort of product. Storefronts were closed up, and only a few had a lantern or two hung up at the sides of their door. Most had been put out by the wind, which had been gathering strength very quickly. A stall teetered back and forth on its wheels, before slamming into the ground. Both of them jumped back, and Mio let out a yelp. "Just the wind..." Nox said, more to reassure himself than anything.

Mio took the lead, muttering quietly that her grandparents would probably give them a home for the night.

It was ominous, how empty this place was, even in the middle of the night. Nox felt chills run across his arms and legs. But something else didn't feel right. Each time he moved, he felt like eyes were watching him, hidden somewhere in the darkness. There was too many places for them to hide here: in an alley, on top of a store: literally anywhere outside the glow of the lanterns. Again, his inability to see in the dark was irritating.

"Stay close." Nox muttered to Mio, and she nodded in response.

A few steps later, Nox stopped. He was sure he heard something this time, a pattering noise he recognized as footsteps. They echoed loudly; he couldn't tell where they were coming from or how many there was. He scanned the rooftops and could have sweared he saw the outline of someone moving along them.

Angrily, Nox shouted "Show yourself, you cowards!" He wondered if the light benders were messing with him, trying to see if he would get scared easily.

The sounds grew louder and louder until in front of him emerged a group of eight people. They wore tan clothing, the kind that he imagined a bender might wear. Most of them were men, but he thought he might have seen a few woman. The darkness made it hard to tell.

Nox forced a nonchalant look to his face. This must be the light benders.

"Sorry about being late." Nox said as evenly as he could manage. "I didn't expect the trip to take so long."

The people did not answer.

"What's with you guys being so quiet? Is there..." Nox began, but was cut off by the impact of air slamming against his chest. He was pushed backwards, digging his heels in to try and stop himself from running into the building behind him. A cloud of dirt followed his feet, floating high into the air. He kept sliding, slamming his feet even harder into the ground than before. Nox only managed to slow himself to a halt barely before he would have impacted. Mio slid next to him a second later, having an easier time stopping than him.

"Airbenders!?" Mio questioned, frightened by the sudden attack. "Why are they attacking us?" Nox didn't quite have an answer yet. But he wasn't going to wait to figure out.

Another blast of air came at them. Mio lifted her arms and brought up a wall of rock. The air currents struck it and rushed around the side. The force of the gale rattled all the buildings around them, but they themselves stayed unscathed.

Out of the corners of his eyes, Nox saw two airbenders move in position to attack on each side. Nox rushed over to Mio and put his arms around her, bending a dome of shadow to surround them. The air buffeted the sides, but Nox concentrated to keep the shadows solid.

The second the air stopped Nox burst from the dome and launched a wave of shadows at each of the airbenders. Impossible for them to see the difference between the regular darkness and the parts that had been forced towards them, both airbender were hit directly in the chest by the attack and were knocked back into the walls. Nox wasn't certain that they'd stay down, but for now they seemed to be dealt with.

Mio rose up a few rocks up from the ground and tried to hit the rest of the airbenders that were now running across the rooftops. The airbenders dodged most of them with ease, but she impacted one straight on. Arms and legs flailing in the air, he tried to bend to stop his descent but continued to fall, dropping behind the building and out of their sight.

One of the attackers jumped down from the roof, landing right in front of Nox. The airbender swung his fist, using the push of air behind his arm to give him more speed. Nox ducked, but before he could counter, the airbender swept Nox off his feet and launched him into the air. He swung his arms wildly and tried to bend, but the sensation of flying through the air made it difficult to focus. Another airbender still on the roof fired a strong current at Nox while he was still in mid-air, and knocked him right back into the ground.

Slamming into the stone of the city streets, Nox winced in pain, staggering back up. He only had a second to react to the next strike. One of the attackers was jumping at him with a long wooden staff, holding it back, ready to bring it down on Nox. He quickly moved his hands and formed a small knife out of the shadows, throwing it at the staff and splintering it in two right in his hands. As the man was still trying to figure out why his weapon had just fallen apart in his hands, Nox sent a wave of shadow right at him and knocked him away

"Nox!" Mio cried out, and he immediately turned to face her, the feeling of panic in his chest growing.

One of the airbenders (Nox thought this one looked like the leader) was holding a long slender blade up to Mio's neck, and had her arms grabbed behind her back. She struggled, but his grip was firm. The others of the group stood nearby, watching in silence.

"Let her go!" Nox shouted, preparing to send a wave of shadow careening towards him. He moved his hands and began to bend.

"Behind you!" Mio shouted, and his eyes grew wide. Nox spun as quick as he could, but it wasn't fast enough. The airbender behind him thrust forwards, and jabbed the knife he was holding right into Nox's side. His knees buckled and he let out a horrible cry. He landed hard on his back, wincing as he laid there.

The airbender stood over him with a pleased look, and hoisted his knife up in the air to finish Nox off. His mind raced to figure out a way to save himself, but he couldn't.

_'I'm sorry.'_ His mind seemed to put everything into slow motion as the blade came closer and closer. _' I couldn't make it. I failed my people. I failed my father. I just wasn't good enough, and now Mio will probably suffer the same fate as me. This is all my fault...why did I have to let her come with me?'_

He shut his eyes and sighed.

Nothing happened for a few seconds. He heard angry grunting from the man standing over him, and he peeked one of his eyes open.

The man's arm was stuck in mid-air. He was straining against some invisible force.

"What...is...this?" he barked angrily. Nox, however, knew what it was.

Someone else was shadowbending.

As if to confirm this, a massive wave of shadows rushed in front of Nox, sweeping the man off his feet and flinging him all the way across the square. Nox brought himself to a kneeling position, trying to steady himself. He scanned the rooftops for someone, but couldn't find his savior.

The group of airbenders was spinning this way and that in fear, also trying to locate who had just attacked them. They backed up slowly, still holding the blade to Mio's throat.

"Don't move!" the leader commanded "Or I'll..."

Before he finished, the blade was launched from his hand and away into the night. Mio broke free of his wavering grasp and brought up a giant pillar of earth right below the man's feet. He was flung straight up into the air and became a speck in the sky. Mio rushed over to Nox, running as fast as she could.

She was a step away when a cloaked figure jumped in front of her path. Unlike the others they'd seen so far, this person's cloak was inky black.

"Who are you?" Mio asked, falling into her bending stance.

"A friend." was the curt reply. "I'm here to help."

Nox could barely hear the voice, but he was sure he recognized it. Mio, though suspicious of this new arrival, had no choice but to trust the stranger. She moved around them and got to Nox.

"Are...are you alright?" she asked, already pulling out the remainder of the bandages from her bag. Nox didn't respond. The cloaked figure watched silently.

Mio spun the wrappings quickly, concerned about the airbenders attacking again. She took a quick glance to see what they were doing, and couldn't help but crack a smile.

The four remaining airbenders were standing still, heads pointed towards the sky, waiting for their leader to fall back down. When he did eventually did, the force of the air he used to cushion his landing knocked most of them backwards.

"What are you waiting for?" he yelled at them. "Why aren't you attacking them?" One of them muttered something to him, and he nodded after a moment of thought. They began to slowly circle around the group, wide enough where the airbenders almost had their backs to the wall.

The stranger and Mio helped Nox up to his feet slowly.

There was a moment of silence where both sides stood glaring intently at one another. No one dared move.

"This is revenge for what you've done to us!" the leader shouted, and all at once they sent a tempest of winds directly at them from all sides.

As if they had planned it, each of the three formed a part of a wall to cover the intense winds. Mio made a jagged wall of rock to take the buffeting of the winds, the stranger formed a murky barrier that nearly blended in with the night, and Nox managed to do something similar to the stranger's.

The winds seemed to never end. The whistling of air passing over was the only sound anyone could hear. All three of them were getting exhausted from the amount of exertion, and Nox was the worst off. He was half-kneeling,half-standing while he tried to use the last of his energy to keep his side up just a little longer, hoping that the airbenders would get tired before he did. But weariness washed over him suddenly, and he knew he couldn't make it.

"I'm...sorry." he nearly whispered as he collapsed. A bright light flashed in front of his eyes as his barrier fell.

_'Wow. They really meant it when they said you'd see a light.'_

A hand roughly grabbed him and pulled him up on their shoulders. The wind whipped his face as they began to move quickly into the night.

"Next time, prince." a voice offered. "Try to be more careful."

The world faded to black.


End file.
